Sandcastles: A Gaara Romance
by littlehyena
Summary: Izayoi lost everything ten years ago. Haunted by constant nightmares, she spends most of her time traveling and taught herself about medicines and medical techniques. One night, she comes across a battle between Sand Shinobi and some rogues. She comes to their aid, saving the life of Matsuri, a student of the Kazekage. GaaraxOC ShikaxTema KanxTen (full details inside).
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** This will be my one and only disclaimer throughout the posting of this fanfiction story. I do not own Naruto or any of its characters, I am simply a huge fan of the world. The plot and original characters belong to me, but everything else is just my imagination running wild with the characters and world of Naruto created by Masashi Kishimoto.

 **Cover Image:** Credit to the rightful owner.

 **Warnings:** Violence | Language | Abuse | Gore (Nothing will be horribly graphic, but I still advise a PG-13 viewership.)

 **Update Schedule** : New chapter to be uploaded every Tuesday.

 **Story Blurb:** Nakasawa Izayoi lost everything that was precious to her ten years ago. Haunted by constant nightmares, she spends most of her time traveling the shinobi world. She had taught herself about medicines and medical techniques, vowing to help those who need it. One night, as she is traveling to the Land of Silk in search of a flower that is supposed to cure nightmares, she comes across a violent battle between some Sand Shinobi and some rogues. Izayoi comes to their aid and saves the life of Matsuri, the student of the Kazekage himself. Despite not wanting to stay, the medic-nin of the Suna ask her to stay finding value in her skills. Izayoi agrees to stay for a short while, but during her stay, things get dangerous as rogue ninja seek to take Izayoi. Unfortunately, they'll have to get through Gaara first.

 **Pairings:** Gaara x OC (major) | Shikamaru x Temari (major) | Kankuro x TenTen (major) | Sakura x Sasuke (minor) | Ino X Sai (minor) | Naruto x Hinata (minor)

 **Story Notes:** Takes place a year after Naruto: The Last movie.

* * *

 **ONE**

 _Most people have a hard time letting themselves love than finding someone to love them._

 _-Bill Russell_

Nakasawa Izayoi didn't have a home or a clan like many other shinobi. In fact, her village had been lost when she was only a child. Bandits raided the village, killing the men, raping the women, and leaving behind the children. Being only ten at the time, Izayoi cried over the corpses of her parents. They had been bloody heaps, lying face down in the mud. Every night since that day, whenever she drifted to sleep, she could feel the blood splatter on her skin, hear the tortured screams of her mom, and the pleading voice of her father. After ten long years, Izayoi had hoped the nightmares would stop, but they never did.

The night sky was cloudless. A desert owl hooted from a cluster of cacti behind the boulder she had perched herself on. A soft breeze blew by, causing grains of sand to swirl around. The Land of Wind stretched far, reaching the ocean tides and the forests of the north. She'd walked across the desert before, running into the occasional nomadic people dressed in vibrant robes that shielded their skin from the unforgiving heat. But this trip had been silent. For two days she'd crossed the dunes, but not once did she see any signs of people.

Rumors about the shifting sands could send some into a craze. The heat, the sand, the wind, the lack of landmarks; it all could drive a person to insanity. Not Izayoi though, she'd come prepared with plenty of water and foods and medicine. She knew where she was, the Sand Village was about a days trip from her current location. Though she had been traveling the shinobi world for many years, Izayoi had never gone to Suna. Most of the time, she skirted around it or traveled elsewhere.

Her avoidance had nothing to do with the Kazekage either. Many years ago, he had been known as a deadly weapon—a Jinchuriki. People all across the Land of Wind knew his name and feared him, but there had been a change. In the last seven or so years, the rumors shifted to something more positive. He led the shinobi into the Fourth Great Shinobi World War and befriended the hero of the shinobi world: Uzumaki Naruto. Supposedly, Gaara of the Desert wasn't the monster he had been made to become.

Izayoi sighed and ran her fingers through her dark brown hair. She had no reason to be thinking about him or the Sand Village. Her destination was the Land of Silk far to the west. She had heard of a unique plant that had been discovered deep in their jungle. The flower was claimed to help those who struggled with nightmares and night terrors to sleep soundly. In a way, it almost seemed to good to be true, but she had nothing left to lose. Ten years of not being able to sleep well had gone on long enough.

An explosion sounded behind her. She leaped to her feet and gasped as a plume of sand, fire, and smoke flew into the air. It wasn't far ahead, about a mile or so. Against her better judgment, Izayoi raced in the direction of the explosion. If anyone had been close, they would be seriously hurt, and as someone skilled with medicine and first aid, she couldn't ignore it. Her green cloak flapped open as she raced across the sand.

Izayoi ran over dune after dune, hoping she would make it before there were any causalities. She skidded to a halt as another explosion blasted, but thankfully it was smaller than the first. Her messenger back slapped against her hip. The muscles of her legs ached from darting up and down the sand dunes. She gasped for air, throat going bone dry. Fire burned in her chest, her lungs constricting with every stride.

"Matsuri!" a male voice boomed over the vast desert. "Get her out of there!"

Izayoi dropped down at the crest of the sand dune, peering over to assess the situation before barreling in. She could fight, but her abilities weren't amazing by any means. A few pants escaped her, blowing the sand near her mouth away. Chattering and clicking sounded from the far right where a large boulder protruded from the sand. A top the rock, a man dressed in all black stood, swinging his arms in broad strokes. More chattering and clicking, followed by the clash of kunai and shuriken.

 _A puppet master?_ Izayoi thought, her eyes widening in surprise. She knew of shinobi who used puppets as they often soaked their weapons in lethal poisons. Many times she had studied antidotes and sold them to various shinobi—it made her quite the profit.

"Kankuro-sensei! She's not breathing!" a female voice cried out.

"Shira!" the puppet master called out as he sent his puppet toward three shinobi in dark red cloaks.

Someone leaped into the air and came hurtling down at lightning speed. The cloaked shinobi scattered as the man slammed his fist into the ground. Sand splashed up like tidal waves. Another puppet soared onto the battlefield, capturing one of the cloaked-figures. Izayoi stood as the other puppet broke apart, revealing many weapons that flew into the other puppet. A scream of anguish came from within and blood dripped down onto the sand.

"Let's get out of here!" one of the cloaked-figures said, racing off with the other following close behind.

The one named Shira prepared to take off but the puppet master called him off. Izayoi bit the inside of her cheek as the puppet master, let his puppet go and roll down the dune. Both of the shinobi raced over to the two women beside the boulder.

"What do we do?" the girl with long black hair asked. "Matsuri-chan, hang on."

Izayoi took in a deep breath and put her hands up, hoping they wouldn't think she was allied with their attackers. She made her way down the dune, cautiously. When she was a few paces away, a sharp blade pressed into her neck. The puppet master glared at her, purple face paint smeared on his skin like the markings of a demon. The moonlight glinted off their headbands, bearing the mark of the Sand Village.

"Kankuro-sensei," the dark-haired girl said softly, reaching for his arm.

Chakra threads stretched from his finger to the puppet arm. A pinch at her spine, caused Izayoi to stiffen. Kankuro's eyes narrowed, full of distrust and anger. "Are you one of them?"

"No." Izayoi shook her head. "I can help your friend. I'm a medic."

The blade at her neck pressed harder into her skin. Kankuro stood, his guard still up. "Why should we trust you?"

"Because your comrade's life depends on it."

"Captain Kankuro," Shira said, looking up at him. "We're too far from the village. We'd never make it back. Matsuri needs medical attention, now."

Izayoi stared into Kankuro's eyes. The pressure of the blades pulled away and Kankuro took in a deep breath. "Save her."

"I will." Izayoi dropped her arms and ran over to them. Her eyes scanned Matsuri's body. No blood, no wounds to be seen. Izayoi removed the girl's vest then lifted the girl's shirt, revealing bare skin. Nothing out of the ordinary. Matsuri tried to gulp down air, but it was as if she was getting no oxygen. Izayoi took in a deep breath and pulled her satchel in front of her. She dug around inside and pulled out a surgical scalpel. A bright green flame engulfed the blade then quickly faded. Izayoi pressed her fingers against Matsuri's ribs and made a small incision. She grabbed a small bamboo straw from her bag and stuck it into Matsuri.

Kankuro, Shira, and the dark-haired girl stared in worry and shock.

Matsuri gasped, her chest moving up and down, proving she was okay.

"Matsuri-chan!" the dark-haired girl smiled, tears brimming her eyes. She looked to Izayoi and nodded. "Thank you for saving her."

"She isn't out of the woods yet, this is only a temporary fix." Izayoi continued to hold the straw, which allowed the air from within Matsuri's chest cavity to escape, stopping the pressure from building. They were a long way from the village and with no medics with them, Izayoi feared for Matsuri's health. Despite, not wanting to take a detour on her travels, Izayoi couldn't let the girl die—besides she'd already made herself known.

"What's your name?" Kankuro asked, staring down at her, his expression softer than it had been when she first arrived.

"Nakasawa Izayoi."

"And what are you doing out in the desert all by yourself?"

She flicked her hair from her eyes. "I was on my way to the Land of Silk. My camp was a little ways from here. When I heard the explosions, I came to see if anyone would need medical attention."

Shira titled his head. "You're traveling alone?"

Izayoi nodded. "I'm a vagrant. I never stay in one place too long."

"Where'd you learn your medical abilities?" the girl beside her asked.

She appreciated they were trusting her, but it wasn't the time. "None of this is important right now. We need to get your friend back to your village."

"Of course," Kankuro agreed and pulled one of the large scrolls secured to his back. He knelt down and rolled out the scroll. A cloud of smoke appeared and when the wind blew it away, a large puppet resembling a salamander stood before them. "Let's get her back to the village."


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:** Thank you Yoko89, JohnGreenGirl, Nerdcat21, and thegirlwhocriedink for your comments. I hope all you wonderful readers enjoy this chapter. Also thanks to everyone who has favorited this story! Until next week everyone :) P.S. If you are a fan of **Haikyuu!** I have a fanfic for that fandom as well called **Casually Cruel** , check it out!

* * *

 **TWO**

Gaara walked into the Suna Hospital, finding Kankuro lounging on a bench near the back wall across from the nurse station. His older brother's arms were crossed, and his head was tilted downward. Yukata, Matsuri's closest friend, paced back and forth in front of Kankuro. Panic created creases in her face as she bit her thumb, completely blind to Gaara's presence. Shira wasn't among them, but the messenger hadn't said anything about him going into surgery.

"Lord Kazekage," Yukata gasped when she spotted him standing a few feet away. Dirt dusted her shinobi attire and a few tears stretched on the front pockets of her flak jacket. She walked forward, a tinge of pink on her cheeks. "The mission—"

"It's okay," Gaara interjected, face void of any emotion. He still hadn't quite mastered expressing himself, but he hoped the tone of his voice would ease her worry. "Where's Shira?"

Kankuro lifted his gaze. "He's getting patched up."

Gaara turned his attention to Kankuro. "How serious where his injuries?"

"Minor. A few bumps and bruises."

"What happened out there?"

Yukata stepped forward, hand clutched in front of her chest. "They came out of nowhere. It happened so fast."

Kankuro nodded, his eyes drifting to the small coffee table between him and Gaara. The glossy magazine covers shined due to the overhead canister lights hanging from the vaulted ceiling. The look on Kankuro's face was hard to read. Normally, he was an open book, wearing all his emotions like a mask. Gaara stood with his arms crossed, eyes drifting from Yukata and Kankuro. He had only glanced over the report before heading to the hospital. The conditions of his shinobi mattered more than the events. The council would disagree with him on that, but since the war—no, since Uzumaki Naruto had saved him from his hatred, he'd come to learn lives were not expendable.

"Any idea who they were? Why they attacked?" Gaara stared at his older brother.

Kankuro looked up, his face paint had been smeared and his black clothing was powdered with sand. It had been a while since Gaara had seen him like that. As a puppet master, Kankuro kept his distance in battles. The attack must have been a complete surprise. Kankuro shifted on the leather bench and pressed his back against the pale yellow wall. His eyes remained downcast as if he were recalling the events moment by moment.

"They wore red cloaks," Yukata spoke out, gaining Gaara's attention. "They were fast and used a multitude of ninjutsu. We never saw their faces."

"We captured one with Kuroari, but when I check inside for the body it was only dust. So whoever they are, when they die some sort of jutsu must ensure they are never discovered." Kankuro clenched his fists on his knees. "Those bastards."

Gaara nodded. "I see."

"Lord Kazekage, Matsuri-chan had a serious injury when we were out there. I thought…" Yukata trailed off and shook her head. "A young woman saved her life. If she hadn't been there, things might have been very different."

"And where is this woman?"

Kankuro nodded to the double doors on their right. The doors lead to the examination rooms. Through the small rectangular windows of each door, nurses could be seen walking around the hall with their eyes glued to medical charts. Kankuro sighed, pulling down his hood, revealing his short brown hair. "Shira's in exam room three, Izayoi is the one bandaging him up."

"Her name's Izayoi?" Gaara asked.

Yukata and Kankuro both nodded.

"What was she doing out in the desert alone?"

Kankuro shrugged. "We asked, she just said she was a vagrant. Supposedly she was heading toward the Land of Silk. That's all she told us though."

Gaara walked toward the double doors. He wanted to thank her for saving Matsuri and coming to the aid of his older brother's team. When he crossed through the threshold, he heard Shira's voice came from a room two doors away. At the door, Gaara stayed back to listen in on the conversation.

"Where did you learn your techniques? You're possibly more skilled than the medic-nin here," Shira said.

"When you travel as much as I do you learn some things," a woman, presumably Izayoi, said with a small laugh.

"But you aren't a shinobi?"

"I don't come from any village, but I do know how to defend myself."

"How long have you been traveling?"

"A while."

Though he couldn't see them, Gaara could tell from the softness in Izayoi's voice she didn't want to speak much of it. He assumed there were painful memories attached to her reasons for traveling around. Shira must have picked up on it as well as he remained silent and stopped his probing. Only silence remained, even the nurses had seemed to vanish from the hallways.

"You're good to go," Izayoi spoke up. "Try to take it easy for a few days."

"Thank you," Shira replied, probably smiling.

Gaara took this as his opportunity to make his presence known. He stepped into the threshold and knocked on the door pane. Shira sat on a bed, his left arm bandaged from his finger tips to his elbow. A woman with a loose braid of chocolate-colored hair sat on a stool before Shira. She turned in her seat and looked at Gaara with sorrow-filled violet eyes. Despite the sadness in her eyes, she put on a smile and stood from her seat. When she bowed, the loose fringe of her hair fell around her face. Gaara tilted his head, studying her with a mild intrigue. He wouldn't deny her beauty. She wasn't tall, he could see clear over the top of her head and her build could only be described as dainty. Of course, Gaara knew better than to assume her small size made her weak.

"Gaara-sensei?"

"Lord Kazekage," she greeted in a soft voice.

"It would seem I owe you much gratitude for saving my shinobi." Gaara stepped further into the room, glancing to Shira for a moment. "You've helped both my students. I thank you deeply for that."

Izayoi straightened and shook her head. "If someone can help another, they should."

Gaara's eyes widened with intrigue. He took notice of her clothing, plain and simple, a bit worn as well. She wore sandals and a short black kimono embroidered with gold butterflies and a bright yellow obi. The long draping sleeves were tattered around the hem. A cloak with mud stains about two inches long rested at the foot of the bed near Shira.

Izayoi walked over to a chair pushed into the corner of the room, picking up a satchel. She hung it on her shoulder and smiled at Shira and Gaara. "I should be going. My work here is done," she said as she grabbed her cloak from the bed and put it on. "Please excuse me."

"It's not even daylight yet," Shira said before Izayoi could pass Gaara. "Why don't you at least stay for breakfast? Allow us to repay you."

Izayoi smiled and turned on the balls of her feet. "I told you that isn't necessary."

Gaara tilted his head. Beautiful and kind—a rare jewel. He couldn't let her leave, she had captured his interest. A lone woman traveling by herself and having medical skills, the mystery about her was fascinating. He wanted to know a little more. "Could you tell me your name?"

Izayoi blinked and looked at Gaara. "Nakasawa Izayoi."

He'd heard the name before, but he couldn't recall where or when. "My brother informed me you are heading to the Land of Silk."

"Your brother?"

"Kankuro, the puppet user."

"I see."

"May I ask what you're seeking in the Land of Silk?"

Izayoi stared at him, her eyes had a spark in them like fireflies dancing in the night. "You may, but I shall not provide you an answer."

Shira's mouth fell open.

Gaara smirked. Not only was she beautiful and kind, but her bravery was nothing to doubt either. His curiosity of her grew even more. Her unabashed gaze and stance didn't waver as he took a step toward her. In some aspect, Gaara was reminded of his older sister, Temari and even the pink-haired medic, Haruno Sakura. Izayoi, however wasn't a shinobi like them, but rather a normal civilian.

"I am not a citizen of the Sand Village, nor am I a shinobi. My business is my own, Lord Kazekage." She bowed her head to him.

"Indeed," he replied. "I will ask no further then, but I insist you at least allow us to provide you a meal before you leave."

Izayoi straightened, meeting Gaara's eyes. "You're quite insistent." She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and sighed. "I suppose breakfast wouldn't be out of the question."

Gaara nodded. "In an hour then. Shira will accompany you."

"See you then." Izayoi didn't smile, she only stared at Gaara as if she were trying to read his motivations.

#

Gaara flipped through the countless reports on his desk. Kankuro had accompanied him back to his office and stood in front of Gaara's desk, watching with curiosity. They'd just gotten back from the hospital ten minutes prior and all Gaara could think about was the Nakasawa name. He swore he'd come across it in a report a few days ago. What it was about he couldn't remember, but he was certain he'd seen the name. His eyes scanned document after document. Nothing came up. He clicked his tongue and got up from his chair, going over to the reports stuck on his bookshelf that needed to be filed away in the archives.

Kankuro plopped down on the couch to the left of Gaara's desk. "What are you looking for?"

Gaara pulled a binder from the bookshelf. He dropped it down on his desk and flipped through the pages within. His eyes scanned the pages, looking for her name.

"Are you even listening?" Kankuro prompted.

Gaara drug a finger across a few sentences, reading the passages and muttering the words out loud.

"Guess not."

 _Nakasawa Yukie, a priestess from the Land of Swamps, was killed by rogue shinobi believed to be from the Land of Wood._ Gaara clicked his tongue, wondering if Izayoi had any connection to the priestess. Her name wasn't common, but she also claimed to be a wanderer according to Kankuro.

"What're you reading?"

Gaara closed the binder and turned to his brother. "I had read the name Nakasawa in a report."

Kankuro raised an eyebrow. "You think there's a connection or something?"

"Perhaps," Gaara replied, leaning back against his desk. "The report is about a priestess of the same name being killed."

"Are you going to ask about it?"

"Even if I did, I doubt she would say anything about it."

Kankuro chuckled. "She is pretty tight-lipped. That may be the reason she's managed to be on her own for so long."

"We'll mind our business."

"Oh?" Kankuro questioned with a smirk. "You seem to be curious though."

Gaara shook his head, taking the binder and slid it back into place on the bookshelf. The mission request had come in over a month ago. The village asking for aid was poor, but had ties within Suna as they provided many herbs for antidotes and salves to the puppet users. In a sign of good faith, Gaara sent a team of four to handle the situation. He hated to call the mission a failure as the request was to protect the villagers, and not a single one was harmed—only Priestess Yukie. Of course, in her request to the Sand, she mentioned her death would be inevitable. He had questioned the reasons for that, but he never did get an answer.

"She is a beautiful girl." Kankuro eyed Gaara, his smile growing with each passing second. "No shame in probing a little bit."

Gaara crossed his arms. "What are you getting at?"

"Nothing."

"Sure."

"But if I was, I think you should consider it. You convinced her to have breakfast after all."

Gaara sighed and walked out of his office, leaving Kankuro on the couch cackling like a hyena.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:** Thank you JohnGreenGirl, Yoko89, and .3 for your lovely comments on the previous chapter, I appreciate it very much! And thanks to everyone who has followed and favorited this story so far. This chapter is a little on the short side, I apologize for that, the next chapter will be longer. Please tell me what you think :) Happy reading!

* * *

 **THREE**

Haruno Sakura sighed, looking up at the sky as the unforgiving sun beat down on them. She couldn't believe how hot it was, especially as the sun had only been up for a little over an hour. How the Sand Shinobi dealt with the sweltering, sizzling, searing heat, she would never understand. The clear blue sky didn't seem to have any plans on offering up any clouds either, which meant by mid-morning she'd be fried. Despite her exhaustion, Sakura was grateful for one thing: spending time with Sasuke. He'd returned to Konoha and ask her to accompany him as he traveled the Shinobi world. And while she wouldn't admit it out loud, her bags had been packed and ready to go since the first time he left the village after the war.

"You just going to keep staring at the sky?" Sasuke called from a few meters ahead of Sakura. His cloak waved in the wind, his dark hair falling into his onyx eyes.

She smiled at him and walked over to him. "So where are we heading anyway?"

"To see an old friend," Sasuke replied when Sakura reached him.

Her brow furrowed. An old friend? It was unlike Sasuke to call anyone a friend outside of Naruto and herself. He didn't even claim Kakashi as a friend. She tilted her head, eyeing him curiously. "You've made friends while traveling?"

Sasuke snickered. "Is it that unbelievable?"

"No! It's just…" Sakura trailed off, wanting to word it in the least insulting way possible. "It's just unexpected. Why don't you tell me about this friend?"

Sasuke and Sakura walked along the sand, heading west toward the Land of Silk. "Before we left the Leaf, Lady Tsunade asked if I could bring back a special flower found in the Land of Silk. It's supposed to help people sleep or something like that."

"And what does that have to do with this friend of yours?"

"Kyotani is a medicinal plant dealer that travels the nations along the Land of Wind's western border. A couple years back I was badly poisoned by some sort of sap from a tree. It had me in pretty bad shape, he found me and provided an antidote."

Sakura chuckled. "You're a war hero and a tree almost kills you."

"The Land of Jungles is filled with many dangerous plants and insects," Sasuke retorted as they walked along the top of a particularly high sand dune. For miles and miles in all directions only sand could be seen. Unprepared travelers would more than likely end up lost and dead. "Seeing as the flower is probably rare and difficult to find, I assume Kyotani would be able to help us narrow down where to search."

"And any idea on where we find him?" Sakura wiped some sweat from her brow with the back of her hand.

"I asked around in the Land of Birds if anyone had seen him. A few merchants claimed he had joined up with a nomadic group heading west."

"So we're on the right track. Now, if only it wasn't so hot," Sakura said with a small laugh.

* * *

#

* * *

Kankuro kept sneaking glances at Gaara as they stood outside the small breakfast cafe a block from the Kazekage's office. Shira was also peering at his sensei. Throughout the entire breakfast, it had been pleasant and calm. Izayoi was rather charming, complimenting the food of the Sand Village and speaking of places along their coastline that served the best-grilled shrimp and squid. She had done a great job of keeping herself out of the spotlight, despite Kankuro and Shira's efforts in getting her to open up. The young woman dodged all the questions with ease though, which was both intriguing and frustrating. Kankuro really wanted to know what she was hiding.

Gaara on the other hand, went along with her conversation and even cracked a small smile at one point when Izayoi told some story about joining some children in finding a rare cactus plant. It was probably the fact that she mentioned how much she loved cacti and how they had many great medicinal purposes as well as providing a way to hydrate one if they were ever to get lost in the desert. Since becoming the Kazekage, Gaara had started managing a little cactus…well, it wasn't little he had an entire greenhouse dedicated to his beloved cacti. Not once had he mentioned it to Izayoi though. And Kankuro didn't understand why. If his little brother mentioned his cacti gardening hobby, Izayoi would probably be interested in seeing it.

"Thank you for breakfast," Izayoi said as she bowed to them. "Now, I should really be going."

"My brother has a garden," Kankuro blurted out.

Izayoi straightened and blinked owlishly. "Oh?"

Gaara turned his attention to Kankuro, the aura of his annoyance and confusion heavy. Despite his brother's glare, Kankuro nodded and smiled at Izayoi. Gaara would thank him later. It was time he started meeting girls and dating anyways, the council had even pushed him about his future and finding a wife. Gaara tended to ignore them, explaining he was only twenty years old and had plenty of time to find someone. Kankuro could agree to that, but his brother hadn't even really spoken to girl's outside of Temari, Matsuri, and Yukata. Maybe Matsuri or Yukata could someday be his wife; they both fawned over Gaara all the time anyway.

"Would you like to see it? I'm sure he wouldn't mind showing you. Right, Gaara?" Kankuro grinned at his little brother, who had the 'I'm gonna kill you' stare burning hard. "Just for an hour."

Izayoi glanced at Gaara then to Kankuro, shaking her head. "I really shouldn't."

Gaara finally looked away from Kankuro. "It wouldn't be any trouble."

"It's not that," Izayoi explained, waving a hand in the air. "I'm already behind schedule as it is. I'm supposed to meet someone at the border to the Land of Silk. And coming here has already put me a day behind schedule."

"Of course," Gaara replied, gesturing toward the village's main entrance. "Allow us to take you to the gate."

"Aren't you the Kazekage?"

Gaara tilted his head. "Yes."

"Don't you have better and more important things to do than escort me to the gates?"

Kankuro and Shira both looked at one another then to Izayoi. She had no shame in speaking her mind, absolutely no form of a filter. Gaara stared, eyes wide and mouth pursed. No one talked to him like that. Ever. Mostly because he was the Kazekage and there was still a bit of an intimidating factor to him.

"I'm sorry," Izayoi said. "That sounded much ruder than I intended. What I mean is: you don't know me and I'm no one special, so do you really wanna waste your time on me when it could be spent on something more important?"

"Why don't you allow me to make that decision?" Gaara shot back, which impressed Kankuro. He wondered if his kid brother realized in a way he was flirting with the pretty traveler. "You saved Matsuri's life and mended Shira's injuries. You don't need to feel like a burden or an inconvenience."

Kankuro's mouth fell open. "Gaara."

Izayoi lifted her head. "Well, if you insist."

"I do." Gaara smirked.

* * *

#

* * *

Slaughtered horses, broken carts, and bodies were strewn across the shifting sand. Blood had soaked the beige sand, staining it a fish reddish-brown in color. Fire crackled from the burning wares piled around the horrific scene. Sakura shook her head as she and Sasuke stood atop a sand dune.

"Do you think this was bandits or rogues?" Sakura asked, never taking her eyes from the bodies. One of the horses was completely beheaded another had it's belly torn open. She had been through a war and hadn't seen something so gruesome. A small body lay beneath the broken parts of a wagon; a child clutching to a stuffed animal.

Sasuke descended from the dune, while Sakura remained at the top. Dark gray smoke billowed high into the sky. The dark-haired shinobi knelt beside a body and placed a hand over the man's eyes, brushing his eyelids closed. He stood and someone groaned in pain. His eyes scanned the area, a hand raised into the air, grasping for help. "Sakura!"

The pinkette ran down the dune, rushing to Sasuke's side. She dropped to her knees, eyes widening. Sasuke grabbed the hand of the man, who coughed, causing blood to bubble from his mouth. His golden eyes landed on the two Leaf Shinobi, then he smiled weakly.

"Kyotani," Sasuke whispered with a shake of his head. "Who did this?"

A splintered board jutted through Kytoni's gut. No matter what Sakura could do, it would make no difference. Kyotani would die. It was a miracle that he was even still conscious and able to move at all. The pain must have been unbearable, so Sakura moved her hands above his wounds and attempted to ease his pain. His eyes drifted to Sakura and he mouthed a thank you before coughing again.

"Red cloaks," Kyotani managed to get out before his face scrunched in pain. "Four of them."

Sasuke nodded. "Where did they come from?"

Kyotani swallowed, his eyes turned toward the south. "They were…powerful, Sasuke."

"Did they say who they were?"

Kyotani shook his head and stared up at the sky, tears welling in his eyes. He smiled and took his final breath, his hand fell from Sasuke's. Sakura closed her eyes and pulled her hands away from the man's body. She looked at Sasuke, who sighed and closed Kyotani's eyes. Caravans being attacked wasn't exactly something unheard of, but nothing special stood out about this particular group.

"Whoever attacked did so for another reason than stealing goods," Sasuke stated as he nodded toward the piles of burning items around the caravan. Sakura agreed with him on that, especially given the fact everyone was dead including the animals. Most bandits wouldn't kill everyone and everything if they were looking for goods.

"You think they just killed all these people for no reason?" Sakura asked as she stood up, counting the bodies. There were over a dozen.

"They must have had a reason, even the most twisted kill for a reason."

"What are we going to do?"

"Let's go visit the Kazekage."

"Gaara?" Sakura repeated in surprise. "You think he'll know something."

"If caravans are being killed in the Land of Wind, he'll want to know if he doesn't already. Suna is about a day that way." Sasuke pointed toward the south, the same direction Kyotani had gestured toward before his death. "Let's go."


End file.
